With sting of 'TUF' loss still fresh, 'Stripper' Ramsey Nijem looking for reasons to party

In many ways, Ramsey Nijem is like your typical 23-year-old, maybe with the exception of a few eccentric tendencies.

The finalist on “The Ultimate Fighter 13″ is in a hurry to make a name for himself in the UFC after waiting too long for his tastes to make his professional octagon debut.

So Nijem (5-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) has volunteered to fight Anthony Njokuani (14-5 MMA, 1-1 UFC) at UFC 141, and he has no illusions about what he has to do to win.

“I think it would be a fatal mistake if I tried to mix it up with him in the striking department,” Nijem told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). “Obviously, my game plan is to get it to the ground and get in his face and wear him out in the first round.”

Nijem did just that in his first fight since his stint on “TUF 12″ ended in disaster when Tony Ferguson knocked him out in the first round to win the reality show tournament. Fighting striker Danny Downes this past month at UFC 137, he took the fight to the mat and dominated en route to a unanimous decision.

Prior to the bout, Downes had given him an unemployment claim form and a package of Top Ramen to prepare him for life in the minor leagues. Nijem didn’t have much use for them.

There’s a little sting, though, in the fact that Ferguson is sitting prettier as the result of the “TUF 12″ finale.

“I don’t think I’m over it,” Nijem said. “Losing is really hard for me, and it keeps me up some nights. In the end, it was really good for me. I learned a lot about myself as a fighter, and as a person, and it really motivated me to get back in the gym and become a better fighter each day.

“He’s making more money than I am every fight and probably making more in sponsorships. But it’s really not that that I care about. It’s really about the trophy and the fact that he won.”

Nijem notes he and Ferguson ran parallel on the show and have so far picked up a win apiece in the UFC. While a rematch isn’t something he’s obsessing over, it’s in the back of his mind that they could eventually meet again.

“Hopefully … he beats Yves Edwards and I get my win, and maybe one day we’ll meet up again and I’ll show the true Ramsey, not the one that came out in the finale.

“That would be the ultimate. But I’m not going to run around and scream I want the rematch, or cry about it. But if he keeps winning and I keep winning, I could see it happening really soon.”

For that to even be a possibility, Nijem has to beat Njokuani, a fearsome striker that’s obliterated many who have stood in front of him. That’s obviously not his plan, but at the same time, danger is present. Ferguson that taught him how a lapse in judgement can quickly lead to heartbreak; it was during their fight that he landed a good shot and strayed from his plan to take the fight to the mat. Moments later, the event’s medical staff woke him up.

“I’m not going to lose my head and try and knock him out or do something irrational out there,” Nijem said. “I’m not going to try and mix it up.

“I still have a lot of holes in my game. I’m still young; I need a lot more experience in a lot of different departments. The ideal dream is to be the best in the world, so I have a lot to work on.”

So he continues to do that while he splits time between Salt Lake City and San Luis Obispo and Las Vegas, working to bring his striking game to parity with his grappling under the tutelage of The Pit’s John Hackleman. His career is in full steam now, and he’s got to make the best of it as quickly as possible.

“Stripper Ramsey,” who once weirded out his housemates in the “TUF 12″ house is still around, too. That’s not really part of his training, but more a part of who he is. He isn’t totally your typical fighter, after all.

MMAjunkie.com Radio broadcasts Monday-Friday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) live from the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino’s Race & Sports Book. The show is hosted by Gorgeous George, MMAjunkie.com lead staff reporter John Morgan and producer Goze. For more information or to download past episodes, go to www.mmajunkie.com/radio.

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